


What adventure shall we have first?

by Elphie1989



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-26
Updated: 2017-04-26
Packaged: 2018-10-24 06:38:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10736199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elphie1989/pseuds/Elphie1989
Summary: Robert Jacob Sugden and Aaron Dingle meet on their first day at Hogwarts.





	What adventure shall we have first?

**Author's Note:**

> So for my first fic here is a little Harry Potter AU fictlet that no one asked for!  
> Couple of notes – I’ve played fast and loose with ages and timelines, most noticeably Aaron and Robert are the same age in this universe so that they can be starting Hogwarts together.  
> I also know from discussion that what houses the boys would be sorted in can be a contentious issue. This is just one interpretation for this story, I’m sure arguments could be made for the boys being in a number of different houses.  
> All spelling and grammar mistakes, and there will be a lot, are my own! Hope you enjoy. x

Robert Jacob Sugden was nervous. That was not something that he liked admitting, not even in his own in his head. But at that moment, he was nervous. He knew from Andy talking all over summer about his first year at Hogwarts just how vast the castle was but when Robert had seen it for the first time, he was overwhelmed. Just as he had known it was called the Great Hall but he had still not been prepared for just how vast it really was. The twinkly stars of the magic ceiling made it seem as though the hall literally reached up to the heavens. The benches of pupils decked out in their robes seeming to stretch on for a mile. And the line in front of him of pupils, all as nervous as him, waiting to be sorted. The Sorting. That was really what was making him nervous. He had enjoyed the hats jaunty song but as soon as other kids started putting the hat on and the tear in the brim started booming out house names, its voice reverberating against the mighty walls, Robert felt his stomach sink. He remembered seeing a curly haired boy called Alex Barton or something be sent to Gryffindor before his mind had blanked out most of what was going on around him.

Just what house did he want to be in, Robert had no idea. His father had been a proud Gryffindor, his mother a wise Ravenclaw and his brother only last year became a kind Hufflepuff. And yet Robert was drawn to Slytherin. He knew they had a bad reputation but he did not think that was fair. Slytherins were resourceful and ambitions and goodness knows Robert had that in spades. It could set him apart; there had never been a Sugden Slyterin before, he could make his mark, pave a way for showing how Slytherins could be good and cunning, sly but thoughtful. He could truly make a name for himself.

As his mind was racing, the four house animals swirling in his mind so much so that it was as though they were fighting each other, he was brought back to the room by Professor McGonagall reading the next students name.

“Aaron Dingle.”

Aaron Dingle. The boy from the train. Robert had found a group of boys to chat to, or rather at, the moment he set foot on the Hogwarts Express and they had found a carriage empty for all but one person. Aaron Dingle, the boy who was now placing the hat on his head. The boy who had sat in the corner of the carriage, biting his nails so hard Robert had worried he was going to start chewing his fingers. The boy who had mumbled his name so quietly it had taken three attempts for Robert to hear it. The boy who had barely said two words the whole journey but who Robert had seen smile at things Robert had said seven times. The boy who had offered Robert his last chocolate frog.

Aaron Dingle sat down on the stool and the hat slipped down almost past his eyes. Robert held his breath as the hat rocked from side to side as though thinking. The boy’s hands were clenched to the side of the stool so his knuckles were going white. Finally, the hat boomed across the hall:

“GRYFFINDOR!”

A sea of red robes at the far end cheered as Aaron hastily put the hat back down and went over to the table. Robert saw him take a seat next to the Barton boy, Abraham was it, and the boy clap Aaron heartily on the back. Robert released the breath he did not know he had been holding. Aaron was a Gryffindor.

It felt like no time at all until they were reaching the end of the alphabet and McGonagall’s voice rang out across the hall once again.

“Robert Sugden.”

Robert tried to look as suave as possible as he walked up to the hat, like it was no big deal, but his feet felt three times their normal size. It had been same outside the castle gates and only Aaron grabbing at his arm had stopped him from falling and making a prat of himself on his very first day. Robert could see Andy out of the corner of his eye but couldn’t bring himself to look at his brother but couldn’t seem to stop himself looking over at Aaron. And Aaron was looking straight back at him, and smiling. A tiny smile, barely a turn of the lips, but his eyes were twinkling like the stars above them. Robert smiled widely back and put the hat on his head.

 

* 

 

Aaron was getting hungry, it felt like an age since the sweets on the train and he knew from all the stories he had been told from his vast family about just how good Hogwarts food was. He could not wait to tell them he was in Gryffindor, almost his entire family had been and even though they said they would love him no matter what house he was in, he knew they would be proud. Though the hat had spent it’s time choosing between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor but Aaron’s mum she said he was a born Gryffindor because he was so brave. His mum had been so happy for him that morning, waving him off at the platform, but he had known from the sheen across her eyes that she was going to burst into tears the second the train pulled out of the station. At least she had his dad though. Paddy wasn’t his dad by birth but he was in every other way. It had taken the Dingle’s a long time to accept his mother marrying a Muggle, but Wizard, Muggle or Squib; Paddy was the best dad ever. Aaron had had to fight back his own tears as he hugged him tight and promised to write every day.

Aaron had felt lost when he finally got onto the train, after looking out of the window until his parents finally disappeared into the distance he had found an empty carriage and cuddled up in the corner. He ate some of the snacks his great auntie Lisa had packed him for the journey, hoping the wave of sadness and homesickness would pass. Inevitably the carriage did not stay empty and three other boys entered. One was rather shy looking with thick rimmed glasses called Finn, the next boy all cocky swagger and arrogance called Ross and the third was well, Robert Jacob Sugden. That was Aaron’s first impression because before he had even been able to properly look at the boy, he had thrust his hand to Aaron and proclaimed his full name in greeting. Aaron had been so confused it had taken him a laughable amount of time to quickly shake his hand and mumble his name, three times. The two other boys sat opposite Aaron, and Robert Jacob Sugden, with the bright blonde hair, commanding voice and freckles like stars across his nose and cheeks, sat beside him.

Aaron had heard of the Sugden’s, of course he had, along with the Dingles they were one of the oldest Wizarding families. He had never actually met one of them before though, less listened to them talk almost non-stop for an entire train journey, but Robert was rather hard to ignore. Not that Aaron wanted to ignore him, he was cocky and showing off and clearly exaggerating the truth about his magical exploits and Quidditch prowess but he was engaging too. And whenever he told a particularly outlandish fib, he would chance a glance Aaron’s way and give him a smirk of a smile that felt somehow secret to just to them, as if willing Aaron to know he was fibbing but hoping he would still be impressed. It was confusing so Aaron had tried to distract himself with sweets bought from the trolley but unable to stop a flush of happiness when it turned out the Chocolate Frog he gave Robert Jacob Sugden contained a Wizard card he needed for his collection.

And now Robert Jacob Sugden was sat with the Sorting hat on his head. Aaron had been unable to stop his smile as their eyes met before he put the hat on, but that had been over a minute ago. There were whisperings starting to grow however Robert didn’t seem nervous, he was not shuffling or gripping to the stool as Aaron had. Finally, the hat boomed Robert’s house across the hall:

“GRYFFINDOR.”

Aaron took in a breath of shock and excitement as Robert threw the hat down on the stool, his smile so very wide as he rushed over to the Gryffindor bench. Specifically, he rushed over to where Aaron was sitting and made a face at Adam until he scooted over so Robert could sit next to Aaron. They both paused before looking at each other.

“So, Aaron Dingle,” Robert Jacob Sugden asked. “What adventure shall we have first?”

 

*

 

Aaron had not expected to feel so emotional but seeing Liv go off to Hogwarts had been such a joyful yet sad moment. He could hardly bear to let her go as he hugged her to him and he knew how his dad must have felt all those years ago, hugging him. He knew Robert sensed how emotional he was feeling as he took his hand and lead them to one of Kings Cross' coffee shops. Aaron smiled at his husband as he navigated Muggle money with aplomb, something so few wizards could do, but Robert had delighted in Aaron teaching him. Robert set down two americanos and they sat drinking in silence, Robert knowing Aaron would talk when he was ready.

“Do you remember our first day at Hogwarts?” Aaron asked after a while.

“Of course I do,” Robert responded fondly, rubbing his fingertips against Aaron’s knuckles.

“I’m Robert Jacob Sugden, what is your name?” Aaron said, mimicking Robert’s first words to him with a teasing smile.

“Admit it, you were impressed with me from the start,” Robert said, pinching Aaron’s thigh playfully under the table.

“Couldn’t get rid of you more like,” Aaron scoffed, taking another sip of coffee around his teasing grin.

It was true, he hadn’t been able to get rid of Robert, because he hadn’t wanted to. Walking around the castle at night, cheating on Potions tests, raiding the kitchens, going for explorations into the Forbidden Forest; they had done it all. They had managed to stay out of trouble some of the time though, both excelling in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Aaron being an excellent Keeper whilst Robert had been the star Seeker. ‘Show off Seeker Sugden’ Aaron would say teasingly after Robert caught the snitch, in almost every match.

It was in their sixth year when things changed. Robert had started seeing a Slytherin called Chrissie White and suddenly Robert had spent a lot less time with Aaron. Aaron tried to tell himself he did not care, that in fact it was what should happen, but apart from one ill-fated kiss with Hufflepuff Victoria before she started dating Aaron’s good but not best friend Adam, Aaron had no experience with girls. Robert on the other hand was admired by girls of all houses but Chrissie was the first one he had dated. The first time Aaron had seen them kissing, when he was looking for Robert lest they be late again for Divination, Aaron had felt his gut twist like it was pierced by hot metal.

It was three weeks after that, when despite having almost every class together and sharing a dorm, Aaron had hardly seen Robert, that it happened. It was the night of April 14th and Aaron had gone up to the Owlery, a place he liked to escape to when he needed to be alone and think at night. He liked the owls and the owls liked him, they would let him smooth their soft feathers and they would nip playfully at his fingers. Aaron had been there are fair while when he heard footsteps on the stairs and Robert had entered the Owlery. He had not said anything, just watched Aaron as he pet the owls. When Aaron had finally looked around, Robert was stood right by him and Robert smiled; the smile that was only for Aaron. And Aaron had smiled back, the smile that was only for Robert. And they had kissed. It was wonderful and nervous and made their heads spin. The next day Chrissie was history and Robert and Aaron were officially together. Messed up, forever.

Robert was giving Aaron that same smile from the night of the Owlery, years later sat in the Muggle café.

“Want to know a secret?” Robert said in that quiet conspiratorial voice of his that usually meant he was up to something, good or bad.

“What?” Aaron asked.

“Remember how the hat took so long to put me in a house?”

“Yeah,” Aaron replied, confused. “It was deciding between Slytherin and Gryffindor, you said.”

“It wasn’t deciding. We were arguing,” Robert responded.

Aaron narrowed his eyes in confusion.

“The hat wanted to put me in Slytherin,” Robert continued. “It said to me I had all the qualities for Slytherin but in my head I argued back. I said I was going to Gryffindor whether he liked it or not. I said I’d go to Gryffindor even if he shouted out Slytherin.”

“Why?” Aaron asked.

Robert grinned, his smile as bright as the sun, as he kissed Aaron softly.

“You know,” Robert said.

Aaron’s face ached as he smiled so wide and went in for a second sweet kiss before pulling back and whispering to his husband.

“I know.”


End file.
